


Demons Within

by ariadnesparacosm



Category: Justice League Dark: Apokolips War (2020), Justice League vs. Teen Titans (2016), Teen Titans - All Media Types, Teen Titans: The Judas Contract (2017)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Demonbirds - Freeform, F/M, Porn With Plot, Smut, slight AU where Apokolips War never happened, starting in chapter 3
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-08
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-14 11:28:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29916216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ariadnesparacosm/pseuds/ariadnesparacosm
Summary: Raven needs help with an awkward problem. Fortunately her teammates are willing to help.
Relationships: Raven/Damian Wayne
Comments: 4
Kudos: 47





	1. Chapter 1

“What’s going on with you?”

Raven put her frozen waffles into the toaster and looked up to find Damian hovering over her.  _ Great _ . She was really hoping to grab a quick breakfast and slip away.

“What are you talking about?”

“You’ve been acting weird. You’re never around, quieter than usual, distracted, and you’ve been holding back during training.”

“Well, why don’t you tell me. I’m sure you have plenty of theories.” Raven tried not to be too snarky, but it was no use. Damian may have meant well, but it was presumptuous of him to insert himself into her private life.

“I would prefer not to speculate about my teammate’s wellbeing. I’m asking because I hoped you would tell me yourself.”

“It’s none of your business.” She took a step toward him to emphasize her point, bringing them dangerously close together. And her body reacted accordingly. The way he smelled, his confident energy, all the little details of his handsome features. It all overwhelmed her senses.  _ Fuck _ . She could just take another step forward and…  _ No, calm down _ .

“So there is something?” His eyes narrowed.

“I didn’t say that.”  _ Shit _ . She would have to be more careful around  _ him _ .

“I’m the leader of this team. If there’s something wrong, it is my business.”

“You are not our leader, you put yourself in charge when Dick and Kori are away.” Her waffles finally popped up, and she stepped back to grab them. “Speaking of which, do you know where Kori is?”

He paused, probably considering whether to keep pressing her. “I saw her in ops earlier.” 

“Thanks,” she said, brushing past him. The fabric of his sleeve slid against her bare arm, making her skin tingle.

“Raven,” he said in a softer voice. It got her attention, and she reluctantly turned back to him. “The team needs you. If there is anything we… anything I can do for you, let me know.”

She nodded. This was his way of showing care. She wished she could tell him everything. She wanted to be honest but just couldn’t. Not about this. She stepped out of the kitchen before her imagination started to run wild. Again.

Raven ate her breakfast and walked as slowly as possible to the ops room. Fortunately there was someone who could maybe be trusted with this embarrassing problem. 

“Good morning Raven,” Kori greeted her, radiating joy and positivity as always.

“Hi Kori, um… could I talk to you?” Her tone was shaky, betraying right away that there was something wrong.

“Of course, what’s going on?” Raven took a seat in the chair next to a concerned Kori. This was a good room for this talk. There were no windows and it was dimly lit only by the large monitors on one wall. This problem should not be exposed to the light of day.

She struggled to choose the right words, not knowing where to begin. “Well, uh, do you ever see a doctor? What do you do when you need medical attention? Since you’re an alien.”

“Well fortunately I don’t need medical attention very often because of my strength and robust physiology. But there are doctors who work with the Justice League who specialize in alien medicine,” Kori replied happily, while also looking uncertain about where this was going. “What is this about Raven? Are you hurt?”

“Not exactly. But, um, I think there’s something wrong with me and… my demon side. I think I might be… in heat.” Every embarrassing word was a struggle to get out.

“Alright can you elaborate a little?”

“I feel… aroused… a lot, like almost all the time.”

“Oh… Do you mean?..”

“Turned on, horny, however you want to say it! All the time. I get turned on out of nowhere by what feels like anything and everything. And it is getting really distracting and uncomfortable.” It all just came tumbling out, and Raven couldn’t bring herself to look anywhere but down at her knees.

“How long has this been going on?”

“A few weeks, maybe over a month,”

Kori nodded slowly. “Ok, could this be due to a hormonal change? You are still very young, and your body could be going through changes.”

“Kori I’m 21, I know what ‘hormonal changes’ feel like. This doesn’t feel normal. And it's been making it harder to control my powers. Sometimes they’re overflowing, and others I can barely access them.”

“Oh wow, ok, that sounds really serious. Do you need to be removed from duty? That could be a safety issue.”

“No, at least not yet. I haven’t had any problems in the field.” Plus it was the last thing left that could distract her from this.

“Ok, but let me know if there is any sign of that changing. We do dangerous work, and I won’t put you or anyone else in harm's way.” Kori turned to the computer in front of her and started typing a message. “I’ll reach out to the Justice League to see if any of their members are qualified to help with this.”

“Wait, just… don’t tell them everything I just told you.” The thought of Wonder Woman or Batman or Cyborg hearing about her… libido… was mortifying.

Kori paused again. Raven was beyond grateful that she seemed to be taking this seriously. “How about I request assistance with a medical issue involving demonic or magical forces. Maybe I could mention reproductive health?”

“Yes, that sounds ok.” Raven nodded, taking a deep breath. “This might be too much to ask for, but… I would be more comfortable with a woman.”

“I’ll see what I can do.” Kori smiled and put a hand on Raven’s shoulder, which her body interpreted as comforting and not arousing, thank goodness. “Is there anything I can do in the meantime to help? Maybe if you tell me a little more about what you’re going through I can help you figure out how to handle it?”

“Thanks Kori, but I don’t know. I’ve been meditating more, and training harder to burn off extra energy, but it doesn’t seem like anything makes a difference.” She pulled her knees up toward her chest, wanting to take up as little space as possible. “The desire feels so powerful, sometimes it’s almost painful.”

“Is there anything… or anyone, that makes the feelings stronger?” Kori’s curiosity showed through. She had been trying to get Raven to talk about crushes and romance for years.

“That’s… difficult to answer.” Raven was not ready to open that pandora’s box. If this was a blanket issue that applied evenly to everyone around her, she wouldn’t have to think about whether certain individuals inspired desire within her more than others, or what the implications of that might be.

“You’re doing just this fine. I know it can be difficult to talk about these things. When I was young and going through my Transformation I felt so alone. So I want you to remember that I’m always here, and we  _ will _ figure this out.”

“Thanks Kori.”

“Have you… acted on these urges?” Kori asked, gently but eagerly.

“No! That would be so irresponsible.” The thought of unleashing herself on some poor unsuspecting soul was… impermissible to say the least.

“Maybe, but it could also be… Well, when I was your age… oh, nevermind.” Kori stopped herself before sharing one of her signature overly intimate stories, probably about her and Dick in their youth. “Just don’t be too hard on yourself. I don’t think this is as abnormal as you feel it is.”

“Thanks.” Raven let go of a breath she had been holding in for what felt like days. It was a relief to share the burden of this secret, and to know that help may be on its way. And at least Kori didn’t think she was weird or gross.

But there was a lingering fear Kori hadn’t been able to quell that Raven was not quite ready to face. In the back of her mind lived the idea that this problem had roots in her demonic heritage that ran deep, and would inevitably ravage the life she cherished.

All of the sudden, an alarm sounded.

“Shit, I have to go. I’m on call.” Raven stood up to leave.

“Are you sure you’re alright? I don’t mind sending someone else, or going myself,” Kori offered.

“No, this will be a good distraction.”

“Alright, just be careful.”

“Thanks Kori.” Already dressed, Raven ran to the common room to meet the other Titans on call. 

_ Oh no _ .

Blue Beetle, Wondergirl and Robin. Hot, hot and more hot. So much for a distraction. She would just have to summon her strength and redouble her focus on the mission. She opened a portal and transported the group to the scene of the crime in progress.

It looked like a pretty standard call. A group of costumed criminals were holding up a bank.

“Well look who’s here!” A woman’s voice sounded from somewhere in the bank atrium. Five figures walked into the center of the atrium and took stances ready to fight.

“But it isn’t going to matter. The HIVE Five is leaving with what we came for!”

‘ _ You have got to be fucking kidding me _ ,’ Raven muttered to herself. These were the most attractive group of supervillains she had even seen. What happened to their usual wannabe villain who had been plotting their big heist in a basement for a decade?

This team was familiar from previous run-ins with the HIVE, but they had changed quite a bit since the last time she saw them. Jinx was their leader, as bewitching and svelte as ever. Kyd Wykkyd stood tall and broad shouldered with an air of mystery. Angel’s hair had grown out and was stylishly windswept, making her look like the goddess she was probably related to. See-more was now completely jacked. Even Gizmo had glowed up, now standing tall with thick red hair and hipster glasses. It was all too much.

“Attack!” Robin yelled in the background, and Raven came back to her senses. She went after Kyd Wykkyd since only she could match his teleportation abilities. Just as he tried to slip away, she grabbed his cloak and was pulled into a vault with the stockpile of money and gold they were planning to steal. She tried to confine him with her dark energy but he repelled it somehow.

It came down to hand to hand combat, which was not usually her strongest area. But, to her surprise, she dominated their little skirmish. She blocked all of his attacks, then went for the offensive. He was skilled, but today she was faster and more relentless. 

‘ _ He’ll be sorry he messed with us _ ,’ ‘ _ He’ll bow down by the end of this _ ,’ ‘ _ I’ll make him beg her for mercy and… _ ’ Raven caught herself mid-thought.  _ Fuck, was this doing it for her now _ ? 

Kyd Wykkyd took advantage of her moment of distraction. He teleported behind her, and pushed her to the ground. But she recovered quickly and pulled him down with her. Raven opened a portal below them that led to just below the ceiling that they both fell through. The fall knocked him unconscious, but she assessed his injuries, and none of them were serious. 

She took him back to the atrium where the fight continued. Donna had gone after Jinx, and now had the sorceress on the defensive, and looking particularly majestic…  _ Ugh, get it together Raven _ .

And then she saw them. Damian was facing off against Angel in a sword fight. Angel had Damian pinned to the wall with her sword at his throat. 

_ Big mistake _ .

Raven dropped Kyd Wykkyd. She used her energy to seize the sword and send Angel flying across the room. Damian fell to his knees, but appeared unharmed. He looked up at her with an expression of horror. And nothing phased Damian.

When she looked at the polished elevator doors to her side, she understood why. A thick cloud of her dark purple energy surrounded her, flickering like flames. And where her eyes had been were now two sets of purple slits staring back at her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoy this exploration of Raven's mental state. Bear with me, this will be the last chapter before Raven and Damian spend some quality time together ;)

Raven was not ok. The incident at the bank was something new, something that could not be repeated. After she helped hand off the HIVE Five to the authorities, and got the team back to the tower, Raven sequestered herself in her room. She let Kori know that she would be off duty for the rest of the day.

“Azarath Metrion  _ Zinthos _ ,” she said, breathing out.

Half an hour into meditating, she was still trying to quell what had emerged within her during the fight. It wasn’t going well. A storm raged within that would not be calmed, and resisted investigation. But there might be something that could help… 

She went to her drawer of magical items, and pulled out a mirror. It was a powerful tool to be used only when necessary, and it was now necessary.

Raven sat down cross-legged on her bed with the mirror and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, there was nothing but pitch black in every direction. But after a moment, a path revealed itself in front of her that seemed to go on forever. She followed it until she arrived in a space that was square like a room, but with no walls. A small voice sounded in the background, whimpering quietly. When she turned around, she saw a version herself cowering on the edge of the space.

“Fear,” Raven said. The copy jumped, and looked back at her.

“You’re here!” Fear said in a loud whisper. “She’ll have to listen to you. This has gone way too far and she won’t listen to me!”

“Who…?” Raven started to ask, but Fear was not paying any attention. Instead the manifestation walked around the open area, skimming her fingers along invisible walls to reveal images, handwritten notes, and clippings of printed writing arranged like an investigation board. Raven noticed pictures of things she loved, like the other Titans, Titus, her favorite books and foods, Titus, and places around the city she most enjoyed. There were also more troubling images, like ones of Trigon, a fiery hellscape, and of her mother looking deathly afraid. String was used to indicate an overwhelming number of connections between the images and writings. To an outside observer the collection would have looked insane, but seeing all of this together made Raven feel the specific type of anxiety that had been building within her for weeks.

“There’s too much at stake,” said Fear, stopping when she had walked a full lap around the room. “We can’t let her squander the life we took so long to build.”

“Are you going to tell me who you’re talking about, or are you going to keep being as vague as possible?” Raven snapped, feeling the sharpness of her tone as the words left her mouth. Confronting this emotion was unnerving, and she couldn’t help lashing out.

Fear finally looked at her. “Lust,” she said, frantically grabbing a hold of Raven’s arm. “You used to know her as Passion, but she’s changed her name. And her ambitions. You have to tell her to stop. She’s going to ruin everything.”

Raven was startled, but tried to remain calm. “Ok, uh, where can I find her?”

“Keep walking.” Fear pointed toward the path. “It might take a while, but try to hurry. I don’t know how much longer I can protect us.”

Raven left Fear to stare obsessively at her walls and continued walking.

Before long she found another copy of herself lying on a couch in dirty sweats, scrolling through her phone.

“Lazy,” Raven said.

“Oh, heyyy,” Lazy replied without looking up.

“I’m trying to find Lust. Is this the right way?”

“Ugh, that girl is exhausting.” Lazy rolled her eyes and finally glanced up at Raven. “You really want to find  _ her _ ?”

Raven sat down on the couch. She often resented Lazy, but at this moment felt like they were deeply connected.

“Not really,” she admitted. “But it’s important.”

“Yeah, well, good luck. God, she’s gonna make a huge mess for us to clean up. If I were you I’d put off dealing with her for as long as possible.”

“Isn’t that a little irresponsible?” Raven asked, feeling a little ashamed. Avoiding the situation is exactly what she had been doing, and did not like being reminded.

“Whatever. I’m just hoping Kori gets Dr. Fate to give you some magical birth control for your demon horniness and I won’t have to deal with this bullshit.”

Raven sighed, looking down the foreboding path. “You and me both.”

“Just keep walking. You’ll find her eventually.” Lazy looked back at her phone to continue scrolling.

Raven kept walking. Further down, the path became a hallway, off of which was an office door. Behind it she found Knowledge working at a desk.

Raven sat down in the chair in front of the desk, glad to see this manifestation. Knowledge encompassed things like memory, reason, and curiosity. She was the one Raven trusted the most, but had been overshadowed by some of the others recently. “I’m supposed to be looking for Lust, but I want to talk to you first. Do you know what’s happening to me?”

Knowledge leaned back in her chair, pushed up her glasses, and looked around pensively. “You have been experiencing heightened sexual desire and arousal for the last several weeks. Your powers are strongly tied to your emotions, which is why they have been less predictable than usual.”

“Ok, but… why? Why has there been a change in my emotional state?”

“I have a few ideas.” Knowledge adjusted her glasses and started to write on a notepad as she spoke. “It could be a medical issue, such as a hormonal imbalance. Maybe something in your physiology tied to your demon heritage. I am hoping we’ll learn more about that possibility with help from whoever Kori connects with. Alternatively, it could be a psychological issue. Perhaps something in your life is unresolved or has gone unaddressed, and is now trying to work itself out. The third option is less well defined, a… spiritual issue for lack of a better term.”

“Um, what?”  _ What the fuck did that mean…  _

“This increase in Lust’s power could stem from our remaining connection to hell, or perhaps a source of evil that has always existed within us.”

Raven’s stomach tightened. This was the crystallization of all the unpleasant thoughts that had been floating around in her head for weeks. And now she desperately wished they had remained vague and diffuse and just outside her consciousness.

Fortunately Knowledge continued, pulling her out of her head “I want to name that, while this last option is not impossible, it is highly unlikely. Trigon is gone, and we have no reason to believe we’re under the influence of anything infernal, outside or within ourselves.”

“What about the other options? Are those more likely?” Raven asked, hoping Knowledge could convince her that her condition was not a sign of something more sinister to come.

“I can’t give you the exact figures right now, but I have been searching your memory for information about each of these options.”

“And?” 

“The evidence for a medical issue consists of accounts you’ve read on succubi and demons going into heat when it is time to mate. Your increased sexual desire, and enhanced beauty are consistent with this sort of physiological change. For the record, I also believe the probability of this to be on the lower end. But again, we’ll know more after talking with experts.”

“So that just leaves… ”

“The psychological explanation. Based on available evidence and my analysis, it’s most likely your increased desire as of late has developed in response to your choice to ignore your romantic and sexual desire up to this point.”

“Hey, just because I haven’t really dated anyone or whatever doesn’t make me a prude.” Raven suddenly felt defensive. Was Knowledge blaming her for this? Or shaming her for being reserved with her trust and affection?

“No, your attitudes around sex are fairly progressive,” Knowledge countered, leaning back in her seat and eyeing Raven knowingly behind her glasses. “But something still holds you back from exploring that part of yourself, and from sharing it with another person.”

“Well, it’s a little difficult to meet people as a superhero.” Raven sank lower in her seat, not enjoying where this conversation had gone.

“Based on my analysis, there are already a handful of possible sexual partners in your life,” Knowledge stated confidently.

“Woah, where are you getting that from?”

“My analysis is based on availability, attractiveness, compatibility, and likelihood of reciprocation.”

“And there are  _ multiple  _ people,  _ currently  _ in my life, who meet these criteria?” Raven asked incredulously. Did she really know how little was going on in her own head?

“The bar is not as high as you’re imagining. I am not talking about possible sexual partners, not perfect mates. Most of them score high in one area and low in others. Except for one, who ranks well all around.”

Raven stared at Knowledge for a long time, taking all of this in until deciding to speak. “You’re not going to tell me who it is?”

“If you wanted me to, you would have asked sooner and more directly. Besides, it’s not complicated. Now that you’re investigating your feelings instead of suppressing them, I have no doubt you’ll figure it out quickly.”

Raven would return to this later, but for now she had other questions. “When have you been doing all of this analysis? I don’t remember thinking about any of this.”

“You’ve been paying less attention to me than usual. And since you seem so determined not to pay attention to Lust, it is likely you’re not conscious of the work she and I have been doing together.”

“Why would you work with her? You’re literally supposed to be the voice of reason and you’re going along with her?”

“She makes some good points,” Knowledge shrugged. “I have fun too you know. I’m curious. I like to learn. And making space in your life for your sexuality could yield some very interesting discoveries. Plus, if I can inform Lust’s ambitions, and as you say ‘be the voice of reason,’ her endeavors are less likely to cause collateral damage and more likely to succeed.”

Raven somehow felt better and worse knowing about this little collaboration. But she respected Knowledge, and knowing they were working together made her question her suspicion of Lust.

“What are her endeavors?” Raven asked.

Knowledge took a deep breath and looked off pensively again. “I think you’ll have to ask her. I can’t tell you as well as she can. I also need to get back to processing this morning’s events. There’s a lot to unpack.”

“Alright.” Raven reluctantly got up from her chair and walked toward the office door. “I guess I’ll keep looking.”

Knowledge spoke up just before Raven walked out. “Just so you know, you’ll find us in the order you’re able to be present with us. Based on your resistance, you may meet a few more of us before you can find Lust.” Knowledge then turned to her computer and went back to work.

Raven felt lost as she continued down her path. Everything Knowledge said should have made her feel better, maybe even glad. But it all sounded so different from what she had expected to hear that it was difficult to accept, let alone know how to handle. But before she could think through how to respond to all this new information, a strange scene appeared.

Brave stood pouring over a large table covered with action figure-like representations of her and the people in her life, on top of pictures of her significant life events and places that were important to her. It looked like a board game of her life.

“What’s going on here?” Raven asked. Brave’s intensity looking at the items on the table, and the absurdity of seeing her life reduced to a game was almost amusing. It was almost enough to distract from her inner turmoil.

“Strategizing,” Brave said, confidently looking up at her. “I’m gonna get you laid.”

After Knowledge, Brave was Raven’s most trusted emotion. Brave was bold, although sometimes she would overdo it and end up being reckless or crass. Raven’s face warmed. “Seriously? Lust has you doing her bidding too? I’m a superhero, aren’t you busy enough??”

“Heck yes I’m working with her, what she is trying to do is fucking terrifying,” Brave said gleefully.

“Don’t you think it might be terrifying for a reason? Like maybe its a bad idea?”

“Listen, I was skeptical at first. And you’re right, you already depend on me pretty often,” Brave acknowledged as she walked around to Raven’s side of the table. “But you know, Lust actually knows what she’s talking about. She showed me a whole new area of life with tons of cool challenges and rewards. I’m already killing it and we haven’t even gotten to the good part yet.”

“Then why does it make me feel so terrible?” Raven asked, sitting down on a stool that appeared at her side.

Brave rolled her eyes. “Probably Fear. I get that she has an important job, and I can usually overcome her when I need to, but she needs to take it down a notch. Do you think you can work on that?”

Before Raven could answer, a figure emerged from the shadows, with four red eyes that stared daggers at Raven. 

“You must! Lust has been denied her place for too long, just like I was before you learned to make space in your life for me. We are part of you for a reason and do not appreciate being refused and ignored.”

“Hey Anger, thanks for your help today,” Brave greeted Anger casually and the two bumped fists. Anger nodded to both of them, and then receded back into the void. But Anger’s brief appearance had Raven shaken up. Her relationship with this emotion had improved over the years, but was still complicated.

“Anger and I collaborate sometimes,” she explained. “She packs a punch when I need something extra. Like today at the bank, when you took down Angel. She might even expand her role, now that you’re out on the prowl.” Brave wiggled her eyebrows.

“I am  _ not  _ on the prowl,” Raven countered, starting to get frustrated with Brave’s brashness.

“That’s not what it looked like when you saved Damian from Angel.”

“Please enlighten me. What did it look like?”

“Well yeah, you were trying to protect your ‘teammate,’” Brave emphasized with air quotes. “But you were also fighting off a perceived rival, and taking the opportunity to impress since you were on fire! No pun intended.”

“That was not what I was doing!”

“Maybe not in the front of your mind, but that’s not always where we operate. And for the record, I’m pretty sure it worked.” Brave picked up one of the figures on the table, turning it over in her hand. It was the tiny replica of Robin. It was incredibly accurate, down to the self-assured expression and firm stance.

“Wait, worked how?” Raven asked, after being momentarily distracted by the figurine.

“To impress Damian. He’s not really into the damsel type. He likes it when you kick ass!” Brave flicked a figure that represented Angel off the table entirely, and set Robin down next to one that looked just like Raven. “After you saved him, he held your eye contact even more than usual, and mirrored your body language. Both signs of attraction.”

“He was probably keeping an eye on me because of my freakout. I was on fucking fire and had my demon eyes out.”

“He may have been surprised for a minute, but Damian doesn’t scare that easily. I’m pretty sure he was into it.” Brave raised a smug eyebrow.

“Is there anything I do without endless subtext?” Raven asked, overwhelmed and lost and embarrassed for reasons she didn’t have the energy to decipher.

Brave placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “I get it, this is a lot. But hey, it’s really cool you’re here and trying to figure it out. It would be so much easier to just keep ignoring the problem.”

“What if I accept what you’re telling me and something bad happens?” Raven asked unsteadily.

“Of course there’s a chance you’ll go outside your comfort zone for something that doesn’t work out. Accepting risk and still going forward takes courage. That’s why I’m involved. And you know, even if something bad does happen, you are incredibly resilient. I think you can survive a heartbreak.”

Raven looked sharply back at Brave. “When did we start talking about heartbreak? I thought this was about lust.”

“Probably around the same time we started talking about a certain tasty snack who is very fun to fight with, and wants to know if there’s ‘anything he can do to help you feel better.’” Brave quoted his words from this morning teasingly. “I could make some recommendations, if you know what I mean.”

Before Raven could protest, the two of them were interrupted.

“Hey girl!” Happy sauntered up and hugged Brave and then Raven. The two seemed to have a rapport, because Brave didn’t seem to be bothered by Happy picking up and playing with the figures on the table. “What are you guys talking about?”

“Raven is freaked out about Lust,” Brave told Happy.

“Why?? She’s great! And there are so many wonderful feelings that come with indulging her. Excitement, pleasure, surprises, play, affection, love!” Happy looked dreamily at the action figures as she choreographed their interactions.

“There are also lots of unhappy things that go with lust too, like rejection, humiliation, harm…” Raven countered.

“Yeah…” Happy sighed, slightly deflated.

“But do you really want to live an empty life trying to avoid those things?” Brave countered back.

“Definitely not!” Happy perked back up. “Oh yeah! Lust heard you’re looking for her and wants to talk to you too. Let’s go!”

Happy held out her hand. Raven took it reluctantly, and soon they were hurrying down the disembodied path. It became narrow and winding, sometimes splitting off in multiple directions. Fortunately Happy knew the way. After a few minutes of charging ahead, Happy linked arms with Raven as they walked.

“So… Who do you like??” she asked, looking at Raven expectantly. “Have you figured it out yet? I promise not to tell! Or at least I’ll make whoever I tell promise not to tell. Although I’m pretty sure you’re the last one left to not know.”

“I… don’t know if I’m ready to talk about this,” Raven admitted, hoping Happy would accept her answer and maybe they wouldn’t have to continue talking.

“That’s ok. Oh! We’re here! I just know you’re going to love her!” Happy said as she guided Raven through a door and into a room similar to Raven’s room in layout.

Ambient purple light illuminated a bed and several tables and shelves. There was art all over the walls, including photographs, drawings, diagrams, and framed pieces of text. The tables were covered with journals, sketch books and tons of loose pages of writing. It was vaguely reminiscent of Fear’s space, but could not feel more different. This was an overflowing collection of carefully curated images and ideas that inspired desire, horniness, want… It almost looked like a museum, but messier, cooler, sexier… 

“Hey girl!” Happy greeted Lust, who looked up from writing in a journal at a table in the corner of the room. She wore a short purple silk dress and a large cardigan that casually slipped off her shoulders.

“Good to see you.” Lust was addressing Happy but looking straight at Raven with two sets of gleaming eyes. 

“Alright, I’m gonna get outta here. Later!” Happy left Raven staring at Lust, the cause of her torment for the last several weeks. All the goodwill that the other emotions had built up for Lust was lost now that she and Raven were face to face.

“Why do you have those eyes?” Raven asked. Everything Raven hoped was not true suddenly seemed like the only explanation. Knowledge had been rationalizing to try and make her feel better. Brave was being reckless as always. Happy was obviously diluted. Something had to be wrong here.

Lust got up from the desk and approached Raven. “Why don’t you tell me what you think, because you seem to have a pretty clear idea in your head already.”

“I think you’re drawing power from something evil. That’s how you’ve been able to get so many of the others on your side, and that’s why you have those eyes.”

“Ugh, you’re so serious. No, I don’t have these eyes because I’m evil.  _ You  _ gave me these because  _ you  _ think I’m evil. But I don’t mind. They’re kinda hot.” Lust walked over in the mirror to admire herself before she turned back to Raven. “And by the way, I’m not controlling the others. My ideas are good, and the ones with any sense recognize that. ”

“But if your power isn’t from something evil, where is it coming from? Because you are more powerful. What’s happening to me is not normal. I am horny all the time! For no reason! It is really uncomfortable and it’s messing up my life!”

“Again,  _ you  _ gave me this power by pushing me into the shadows for so long. But I am not going to stay there anymore. I’ll have what I want and your shyness and indecision are not going to stop me.” Lust kept walking toward Raven as she spoke, her tone getting lower and more threatening as she went.

“Stop you from what? What do you want?” Raven asked, only whispering now that Lust was standing so close. Lust’s eyes glimmered.

“I wanna fuck. I wanna put my mouth on someone and know how their skin tastes. I want to look into someone’s eyes when they come and know that I’m the reason. And a thousand other things.”

Lust’s words were undeniably appealing. But imagining those activities in the context of her own life was a little overwhelming for Raven. She wasn’t quite ready to claim all those desires as her own. She walked over to the bed, sat down and hugged her knees to her chest.

“You used to be more than lust. What happened? I have a really good life, why can’t that be enough?”

Lust softened, and walked over to sit down next to Raven on the bed, leaving some space between them. “I was Passion, and I will be again. I’ve just gotten more focused. Your sexuality really needed attention, and channeling all my energy into Lust was the only way I could make a change. It’s wonderful that you’re grateful for the good things in your life. But it’s also ok to want more. You have desires, my existence is evidence of that. You won’t make your life, or anyone else’s life, any better by denying yourself.”

“I wish I could believe you. It just feels… irresponsible.” Raven had to admit she was tired of ignoring her feelings, or trying and failing to calm them through meditation day after day.

“I’m not asking you to do anything crazy. I’m asking you to take a step forward.”

“Ok, but what does that mean? What constitutes a ‘step’?” Raven finally looked back at Lust, hopeful they could find a middle ground.

“You’ll have to figure that out for yourself. But, I don’t know, be open to your desires… and consider that they may be… reciprocated.” Lust savored the last word, biting her lip slightly. “I honestly don’t think you’ll run into too many setbacks, other than those you create for yourself.”

This advice was not exactly the step by step guide Raven was hoping for, but Lust’s suggestions seemed manageable, if a little vague. She had come here hoping to return her mind to what she knew as normal, but after hearing from her emotions and their convergence around a particular set of goals, going back did not seem like an option. And maybe that was ok…

“Are you ready to go back?” Lust asked.

Raven nodded, and Lust pointed her towards a full length mirror. She looked into it, and watched herself merge with Lust.

Raven awoke with a start, back on her bed in her room, as if from a dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this chapter was fun to read because it was so fun to write. I love thinking about how much is going on in Raven's head without her even knowing.


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